Smartphone Apps: Ten Most Valuable Android Applications

Once you buy an Android-powered smartphone, your next step is probably looking at what apps you fancy having on it. As there are thousands of these around there are plenty for every taste.

Whether you want some to let you use your social media sites on the move, to read your favorite books or to play some games, you will find a variety on offer. Here is a small selection of some you may be interested in to get you started with making your phone even more useful to you:

1. Facebook for Android. This is one app especially designed for those people who just can’t bear to be away from their Facebook when they leave the house or office. You can chat with friends and view all your information without the need to be in front of your PC.

2. Kindle for Android. If you love reading, then you won’t want to miss this piece of software. It lets you convert your smartphone into a Kindle book reader; meaning that you can shop for the thousands of books on sale in their store. There are over half a million books that cost less than $10, and you can also get top newspapers and magazines as well as download classic literature for free.

3. Google Maps. As a way of seeing the world and finding your way around, Google Maps is hard to beat. This app includes a lot of top features although you are advised to check before downloading it, as it doesn’t work on all Android phones.

4. Google TV. This is a fairly new service for Android phones that is sure to be a huge success. The people at Google are talking about making a more comprehensive service over time and you should expect a lot of features to be added on in the near future.

5. Trip Journal. Avid travelers will enjoy the chance to plot and share their trips using Google Earth. Your photos can be instantly shared with Facebook, Picasa and Flickr sites.

6. World Newspapers. For keeping up-to-date with what is happening across the globe, this piece of software is really comprehensive. More than 2300 newspapers from 70 countries are represented and you can check the news out by country or by category. A translation facility lets you read foreign papers.

7. Angry Birds. This free arcade is one of the most popular Android apps. Even if you aren’t a huge games fan you will probably find yourself addicted to this greatly playable little game.

8. Napsy. An app for people who travel a lot and are away for longer periods, Napsy lets you sleep comfortably knowing that it will wake you up when you reach your destination.

9. Phone Halo. This is a free app that keeps your valuables safe by “linking” them to your phone. You will be notified if you are about to leave anything behind and if you do lose any possessions you will get a message telling you exactly where they are.

10. Loopt. If you love social networking then you’ll be impressed with this app. It lets you see which of your Facebook friends are nearby and what local bars and restaurants are buzzing.